The New Storybrooke
by breeb381
Summary: Slightly AU. Henry has been saved, and Regina and Emma couldn't be more grateful. But their last night on the ship back home, their relationship takes a turn, and suddenly everything changes. Will this be their one true chance at happiness? Or will it leave them both shattered and homeless? SwanQueen. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Just a Kiss Goodnight

**Chapter 1: Just a Kiss Goodnight**

Regina couldn't sleep. Despite having finally, after spending far too much time on that god-forsaken island, rescued Henry, Regina was tense and worried. She should have been relieved now that Henry was back into her life, safe and sound, but the only thing she could think of were the events that had transpired just hours earlier.

_After having tucked Henry into bed, holding him close for some time before he finally shut his eyes in a peaceful slumber, Regina slipped quietly out of the Captain's quarters, slowly making her way to her own room. She had insisted on having her own sleeping quarters when first leaving for Neverland, but now with so many people traveling back to Storybrooke, she didn't have much choice about having a roommate. Fortunately, Tinkerbell had offered to take up that slot, deciding to give Regina another chance, despite their history. And even more fortunately, Tinkerbell seemed more concerned about catching up with Neal than taking to her bed chambers, leaving Regina alone - as she'd always been._

_She hadn't even begun changing yet when there was a knock on her door. Regina immediately felt her heart race in panic, petrified that something was wrong with Henry. Leaping towards the door, she flung it open only to be stopped short by the shuffling sheriff, whom looked extremely uncomfortable, her hand clenching the back of her neck and her eyes downcast, blonde hair falling in front of her face. How Regina wanted to reach out and tuck it back, cradling her cheek…_

_Regina mentally cleared her throat at the thought, pushing such idiotic and unrealistic notions aside. Instead, she quirked an eyebrow, her lips curving slightly into an amused smirk._

_"Miss Swan. How might I help you at this late hour. Shouldn't you be celebrating with your family and…suitors?"_

_Venom bit "suitors," and Regina smirked as Emma's eyes finally made contact with Regina's, flashing with anger for just a moment before settling on something Regina didn't quite recognize._

_"Uh…look. I just wanted to say…thank you. If it weren't for you…we never would have been able to save Henry. So…yea, thanks."_

_Emma felt slightly uncomfortable in her apology, unsure of how to approach the mayor given the circumstances. Her mind wouldn't stop replaying the events at the tree, when Regina broke free, saving them all. The look of determination and resilience in the woman's eyes sending a shiver down Emma's spine. Emma felt guilty, her own regrets weighing her down after being brought back to the forefront of her mind._

_"Yes, well, you're…quite right," Regina frowned, confused as to the woman's confession._

_A tense moment settled around them, and Emma was about to excuse herself when Regina continued._

_"Would you care to join me for a drink, Ms. Swan?"_

_The invitation surprised both women, especially Regina, who seemed taken aback by her own words._

_"Sure."_

_With a shrug of her shoulders, Emma entered the room as Regina stepped back, opening the door wider. She didn't know why, but Emma half-expected the room to be more lavish, assuming the woman would have used magic to create something more to her standards, but the room remained untouched._

_Emma stood awkwardly in the middle of the room as Regina pulled open a loose floor board to reveal a bottle of MacCutcheon Scotch Whisky and two glasses, causing Emma to smirk. It was her brand._

_"I do hope you don't mind whiskey, Ms. Swan. Rum is much too vile," Regina sniffed._

_"I prefer whiskey anyways."_

_Regina raised an eyebrow in conceited disbelief, pouring them both a hearty glass._

_"Cheers," Emma began, Regina interjecting. "To saving Henry."_

_"And to you," Emma added, giving Regina a look of profound respect and admiration._

_Both women took a healthy sip of their drinks, taking a moment to enjoy the warmth curl down their throats, each lost in their respective thoughts. Regina finished the rest of the liquid in her glass, Emma quickly following suit, thrusting the glass toward Regina who promptly turned on her heel to refill their glasses, not a word passing between the two._

_Emma stole the opportunity to watch Regina from behind, her eyes wandering down the woman's curves until settling on her backside. For awhile now, Emma had realized her attraction to the other woman, but she adamantly insisted to herself that she liked men, not women, and that she only felt this way about Regina because of all the fighting they did. Still, a small voice in the back of her mind questioned the validity of her justification._

_Emma's eyes snapped up as Regina turned back around. Regina had felt the heavy glare of the woman upon her but did not think much of it. Passing Emma's full glass back to her, she nodded her head in acknowledgment of the other woman, a silent toast, before both of them took a sip. Emma could feel the liquor starting to take affect, spreading a warmth throughout her body. Tilting her head to the side, she eyed Regina closely, causing the other woman to quirk an eyebrow in question._

_"You know…you don't only have Henry," Emma proclaimed, her fuzzy mind encouraging her to spill the truth from her lips._

_Regina's eyebrows pinched together, confused at first as to what Emma was talking about, before remembering the heart-wrenching confession she had made to Emma when Pan had taken Henry's heart. Her mind reeled at what Emma actually meant by that, sure that she had a hidden agenda. But as Regina glared questioningly into those blue eyes, she could see nothing but honesty and…_

_"I mean, you know, you've got me. I mean, we're both Henry's moms, so I guess we're stuck with each other whether we like or not."_

_Emma shrugged her shoulders, clasping her drink tightly, smiling sheepishly at Regina through hooded eyelashes. For a moment, Regina stood still, surprised at the woman. What did she say to that? Her immediate reaction was to scoff and dismiss the notion, her lips immediately curving into a snarl, ready to attack. But Regina stopped herself as a thought shot through her mind._

'Maybe she means it.'

_Emma grinned at Regina, shrugging her shoulders once more._

_"Anyways, Regina, I should probably get going," she started, putting her glass down on the end table. "It's getting late, and we'll have to be up ear-"_

_Emma turned around, startled for Regina to be just inches from her face. Emma's breath hitched as the woman leaned forward to rest her own glass on the table. Regina's eyes tore into every sparkle behind Emma's, looking for a sign that she should move, that the invasion of personal space had finally crossed the line. Instead, she saw a hint of fear, anger and…lust._

_Taking a step forward, Regina effectively trapped Emma between herself and the table. For what felt like forever but could have been no longer than 20 seconds, Regina merely stood there gazing into Emma's eyes, trying to read every secret she could find, and Emma complied, refusing to even blink, unsure why her feet refused to move._

_All thoughts of moving were abruptly put to rest when Regina closed the last space between them, dipping her lips to hover just above Emma's before gently pressing their lips together, tentative but also with a sense of urgency._

_At first Emma didn't react. _'Regina Mills is kissing me.' _The thought swam throughout Emma's mind until her body caught up and she began moving her lips, her hands coming to rest on Regina's hips while Regina's hands moved to cup her face._

_Regina pulled back, but kept their lips dangerously close as she nuzzled Emma with her lips and nose ever so slightly. Emma foolishly grinned and, without thinking, pulled Regina's lips back down to meet her own, this time deepening the kiss and pulling Regina's hips closer to hers. Regina quietly gasped, surprised at Emma's boldness, but taking it as a sign to continue. Regina snaked her tongue over Emma's bottom lip, and Emma gladly allowed her entrance, entangling her fingers in Regina's hair._

_BANG!_

_Both women jumped apart, jolted by the sudden noise, causing a glass to spill onto the floor. A light giggle could be heard from the other side of the door as it swung open to reveal Tinkerbell, seeming slightly intoxicated by the way she supported herself with the door. Upon seeing the two flushed women standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, Tinkerbell grinned._

_"'Gina! Emma! Now it's a party!"_

_Tinkerbell stumbled toward them, and Regina immediately rushed forward helping her to bed. Emma stood there helplessly, her heart pounding in her chest. _'What the hell just happened?'

_Before Regina even had the chance to turn around, Emma had raced out of there, securing herself in her own quarters, leaving Regina with a passed out Tinkerbell as she stood in the middle of the room alone - just as she'd always been._

Regina sighed, resigned to not being able to sleep. Little did she know, Emma had conceded her night to the same fate.


	2. Home is Where You Can Eat for Free

A/N: So hello there! I forgot to do one of these in the first chapter, so I figured I'd do it now. I outlined this at 10 chapters...it's going to be longer than that lol This story will basically detail Regina and Emma's relationship and its progression of them coming to terms with their feelings. I will be updating as soon as the chapter is written, but I have no idea how often that will be. As a warning, later chapters will have trigger warnings for rape, suicidal thoughts and possibly more. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! I haven't written anything in awhile, and I'm really excited about this story. :) (Oh and in my world Ruby is still around.)

* * *

**Chapter 2: Home is Where You Can Eat for Free**

Regina groaned as she rolled over, grabbing the pillow she had been lying on and smothering her head in an attempt to drown out the sunrise and loud footsteps above her. She knew she couldn't have slept long, and she wanted nothing more than to bury herself under the covers and pretend that she was back in her large, queen-sized bed with a down comforter and feathered pillows…

A sudden jolt from the ship caused the room to wobble violently, forcing Regina to role from the mattress onto the floor with a dull "thump." A light snicker followed by a low moan drew Regina's eyes to lie on the hungover faerie who looked like she sorely regretted her decisions from the previous night.

"If the room wasn't spinning, I'd have found your lack of grace quite amusing," Tinkerbell grimaced but smirked slightly.

Regina merely glared at the blonde before standing and swiftly sweeping a hand over herself, the rumpled mess she had been transformed into the Mayor's usual crisp self, opting for her pair of tight, black pants, red blouse and blue blazer: an outfit she had become all too familiar with recently. And of course, not a single hair laid out of place. But despite Regina's sharp wardrobe, Tinkerbell noticed the woman didn't seem to stand with the confidence and power that usually radiated from her.

"Tinkerbell, dear, try and tidy up a bit. I do believe we are back."

The words chased the curious thoughts of concern over Regina's peculiar demeanor as she forced herself to her feet, a smile blossoming the young woman's face. Regina herself couldn't help the small twitch of her lips at Tinkerbell's eagerness.

Not waiting for Tinkerbell to catch up, Regina ascended to the deck above and was met with a gust of wind sprinkled with sea salt. Her eyes sparkled as she saw Storybrooke's dock in sight. Smiling her first genuine smile in…well, she couldn't remember the last time she smiled so brightly. She searched around deck for Henry and saw him over at the wheel with that furious one-handed mongrel and…Emma. Regina's heart leapt into her throat and a wave of jealousy crashed through her body, but she pushed it back from the shore and watched from afar.

(x)

Emma had awoken, after a solid hour of tossing and turning, before waking up before the sun even rose. She desperately tried to retain even a few more minutes of sleep, but with a huff, she gave up and threw off the covers, her bare feet touching the cold ground. She glanced over at the other bed where Wendy Darling slept, oblivious to her roommate's actions.

Quickly pulling on a pair of her jeans, boots and classic leather jacket, Emma headed to the Captain's quarters to check on Henry, only to find his empty, disheveled bed. Frowning as a shot of terror zipped through her spine, Emma ran up the stairs to the deck, her eyes flitting around, attempting to locate her son.

She released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as she saw him at the helm of the ship with…Hook. A growl settled in the back of her throat. She didn't want Henry becoming too acquainted with the pirate. Had she kissed him? Yes. But it was really more of thank you, pity kiss, and even then…they _had_ been stuck on that island for far too long. He was convenient and easy, and Emma regretted the kiss as soon as it happened. She didn't want Hook, or Henry, getting the wrong idea.

Hands in her pockets, she dragged herself up the steps to the pair, not wanting to be near Hook, but also wanting to be near Henry. Henry smiled brightly and ran to hug Emma tightly, causing Emma to grin.

"Emma! Hook was letting me steer the boat! It's so cool! He said that when we get back to Storybrooke that we could go out on the water sometime, and he would teach me more!"

Emma's lips started their descent into a frown as her eyes shot up to glare at Hook who wore a look of pride and smugness as well as a not-so-hidden want brushing the edges of his eyes.

"Did he now? Well…we'll see. I don't know how I feel…"

Henry had stopped listening, returning his attention back to steering them toward Storybrooke, leaving Hook to slide his way over by Emma.

"He has a natural talent," Hook began, a suggestive smile plaguing his lips. "Nothing compared to his mother, though."

Emma had crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable in the pirate's presence. Really, she knew it was her own fault; she had encouraged his forwardness, but now that Henry was back and she was able to think about everything, she had no desire to go down the path that Hook seemed all too happy to offer her. And then after last night…

Her eyes glazed over suddenly as she remembered Regina's body pressed against hers, Regina's lips painting Emma's with a gentleness the blonde hadn't expected. Instinctively, Emma reached up and touched her lips, wishing she could feel that sensation again. _'No. This isn't right. I mean, this is Regina! Regina, the Evil Queen, the mayor that made my life a living hell. No. No no no no.'_ But Emma knew that it didn't matter how many times she repeated the mantra in her head; the words were a lie. Emma liked the kiss, and it scared the crap out of her.

Hook, who had been watching Emma intently, mistook her touching her lips as a remembrance when _they_ had kissed, and he grinned, invading her personal space, forcing Emma's attention back to the present.

"Remembering our encounter, love? Looking for a repeat performance?"

Emma took a step back, eyes glancing at Henry, thankful he was too immersed in steering to be paying attention to the events playing out just beyond ear shot.

"Not at all. That was a one time fluke. It's not happening again."

Hook merely smirked, not the least bit put-off by Emma's rejection. He was in this for the long-haul.

"Oh, c'mon love. You enjoyed it before."

Emma barely kept herself from rolling her eyes as Hook winked at her. Knowing that Henry was safe (well, as safe as he could be with that pirate), Emma turned to walk away and her eyes locked on the woman who had plagued her thoughts since the previous night.

Both women's hearts fluttered sporadically, but before either of them could react, Hook had hooked his arm around Emma's back, resting his hand on her hip.

"Land, ho!" he shouted, pulling Emma closer.

Regina's eyes narrowed but she turned her back on the despicable creature who referred to himself as a captain, ready to get the hell off of that over-crowded ship.

(x)

The group of heroes had been greeted with a thunderous roar of applause, the town's residents running forward to hug the people they loved. No one matched Belle's enthusiasm, however, as she flung herself into Gold's arms. She had missed him dearly, and if his toothy grin was any indication, he had missed her just the same. Granny and Ruby both ran towards Emma while the dwarves surrounded Snow and Charming before everyone enveloped Henry. Regina remained in the back, away from everyone else; no one was happy to see her. Even Tinkerbell received a not-quite warm welcome from the Blue Fairy, but a welcome nonetheless.

Emma noticed Regina standing alone and moved to go by her, but she paused, wary of how Regina might react given the events of last night. Before Emma could decide whether or not to approach the older woman, the dwarves surrounded her in welcome, taking the choice completely away from her. Ruby broke through the crowd of them and wrapped her arm around Emma's waist in a sideways hug.

"Celebration at Granny's!"

The group chatted excitedly as they all start to head into town, Ruby keeping an arm around Emma. Emma smiled at her friend. She'd missed the girl, and goodness only knows that Emma needed her best friend after everything.

"We need to talk," she whispered in her ear.

Ruby's eyebrows shot up and a conspiratorial smile spread over her lips as she nodded eagerly. Wrapping her arm around Ruby's waist, the two girls followed everyone back, as Regina stood alone on the dock, her eyes ablaze with hurt and jealousy.


End file.
